When the York-based theatre company, Next Door But One last took their production of She Was Walking Home on tour, The Office for National Statistics (ONS) had just released data on how safe people feel in different public settings.
One in two women felt unsafe walking alone after dark in a quiet street near their home or in a busy public place, and two out of three women aged 16 to 34 years experienced one form of harassment in the previous 12 months. And now as the company gear up to take their testimonial-based performance into colleges the need for more conversations around women’s safety and the role we all play is strengthened by recent data published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, showing that crime related to violence against women and girls increased by a staggering 37% between 2018 and 2023, with one in every twelve women a victim per year.
Originally produced as an audio walk around York city centre in 2021, She Was Walking Home is a series of monologues created from the testimonies of women living, working and studying in York. “This project was initially called into action by the women we work with, who were all having more and more conversations around their own safety after a number of attacks and murders reported in the media” says Kate Veysey, the Director of the performance.
“And with each stage of development it has been the community that has guided us: the audio walk was created from 33 testimonies of local women, the 2022 tour was produced through feedback from listeners who wished to bring their friends, colleagues and social groups to engage in the conversation, and the resounding message from that audience was the want from parents for their children to see this, for teachers wanting their schools to witness, and young women wanting their male peers to come with them. So that’s what we started doing!”
Its most recent tour in 2024 reached 14 schools and colleges across York and North Yorkshire, engaging 1,735 young people in conversations about safety, consent, and allyship. Students called it “Powerful, Thought-provoking, Relatable, and Impactful” with all engaged making pledges of change – from calling out misogynistic jokes and banter, to challenging inappropriate behaviour of peers and having more open conversations about respect, consent and safety.
Now partnering with TEC Partnership, Next Door But One are bringing the production to their Beverley, Bridlington and Grimsby campuses this September. On each day there will be performances and workshops for college students, and then a public performance to bring this powerfully moving story to local residents to help in keeping this vital conversation alive.
For all information, including venues, dates and how to book, visit www.nextdoorbutone.co.uk
